John a



J. A. LEFFERTS.

ENVELOP. I

Patented June 28,1898.

(No Model.)

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Jenn A. LEFFERTS, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ENVELOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,34=9, dated June 28, 1898.

Application filed February 6,1897. Serial No. 622,251. (No model.) I

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN A. Lnnrnnrs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im11 rove1nents in Envelops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to envelops such as are used for inclosing letters and similar purposes; and the object of my improvem cuts is to provide an inexpensive and practical means for the opening of a sealed envelop without the use of a knife or other means extraneous to the envelop. To this end I provide a cutting-thread one end of which is secured between one of the end flaps of the envelop and the lower side flap thereof at a point near the end of the envelop by means of the gum by which in the completed envelop such flaps are fastened together. The free end of the thread is carried through'the interior of the envelop under the end flap thereof and projects slightly from the envelop at one end of the open side thereof. In order to open the envelop when sealed, the thread is pulled by means of its projecting end against that end of the envelop to which it is adjacent, which is thereby cut open. The attached end of the thread is securely held against the strain applied in cutting the paper not only by being gunnned between the approximated surfaces of the envelop-flaps, but also because of its being bent over the edge of the end flap, so that the strain comes on the edge of the flap and not directly on the thread at its point of attachment, and the adhering faces of the flaps must be themselves pulled apart before the thread will pull away. I provide also in the edge of such end flap opposite the point of attachment of the thread a slot or notch,which is under the upper side flap of the envelop when it is sealed. This slot receives the cutting-thread at a point near its free end and prevents it from readily slipping down into the envelop, and also causes it to be bent or folded down outside of and close to the envelop when the latter is closed.

Anysuitable filament, such as cotton or silk thread composed of separable strands or narrow ribbon, may be used for the cutting thread. I prefer, however, to use a narrow Figure 1 of the drawings shows an envelop open ready for the receipt of its contents, with a part of the lower side flap broken away to show the manner of attachment of the out tin g-th'read. Fig. 2 shows the envelop sealed, and Fig. 3 shows the cutting-thread in the act of opening the envelop.

The same letters of reference indicate cor responding parts throughout the figures.

A indicates the envelop, and a the cutting thread, the body of which lies within the envelop A. One end, as b, of the thread a is bent over the edge of one of the end flaps B of the envelop and is secured between the gumined surfaces of the endilap B and the lower side flap 0 when these flaps are joined together in the process of making the em velop. In the edge of the end flap B of the envelop, opposite the point of attachment of the thread a, is a notch or slot (1, adapted to receive and hold the thread a atapoint near its free end 0. The notch (1 serves to hold the thread a in position, so that the contents of the envelop may be conveniently inserted without pushing the thread down into the envelop, and also facilitates the folding down of the free end of the thread when the en- ,velop is sealed.

hen the contents of the envelop are inserted and the envelop is closed by bending over and gumming or sealing the flap D, the free end 0 of the thread a is bent down and held close to theenvelop by the flap D,wit h its end slightly projecting beyond the edge of the flap,as may be seen in Fig. 2. In this way the entanglement of the free end of the thread a with other mail-matter and the accidental opening of the envelop by an unintended pull on the thread is avoided. In order to open the envelop, the end 0 of the threads is seized and the thread is thereby pulled against the adjacent end of the envelop; which is thus readily torn open with out any possibility of injury to the contents of the envelop.

I have shown the cutting-thread as consistin g of a thin narrow ribbon,which when longitudinal strain is applied thereto will draw up into a practically round thread and be as effioacious for cutting the envelop as an ordinary round thread, and which I prefer because of the firmness with which it may be made to adhere to the envelop. A round threadsuch as ordinary silk, cotton, or linen thread-quay, however, be employed, and these may be made to adhere firmly between the gurnmed flaps of the envelop by untwisting and separating the component filaments of the thread into a fan shape at the end where it is attached to the envelop.

I am aware that the idea of an opening-device for-envelops consisting of a wire or sim'ilarfilalnent attached to one edge thereof is not broadly new, and I do not claim such as of my invention.

WVhat I do claim as-new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An envelop having a cutting-thread lying 3 the end flaps of the envelop and under the free flap thereof adapted to receive the free end of such thread whereby when the envelop is sealed the free end of the thread is folded down and held against the outside of the envelop substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In an envelop a cutting-thread lying within the envelop adjacent to one end thereof and having one end bent over the edge of an end flap of the envelop and secured between the adjoining gummed surfaces of such .end flap and a side flap and a notch in the opposite edge of such end flap adapted to seize such thread at a point near the free end thereof, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 4thday of February, A. D. 1897.

JOHN A. LEFFERTS.

\Vitnesses:

OLARKsoN-A. COLLINS, SANDS F. RANDALL. 

